Page 71 of Taming a Heartbreaker

“Umm, so what do you think we should order?” she asked, looking at the menu.

He leaned back in his chair. “Whatever can fill me up. I’m starving.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re famished and I’m exhausted. Go figure.”

“My friend Matthew Birmingham and his lovely wife, Carmen. How are you?”

Matthew glanced up and smiled. “Sheikh Adham, I heard you were a guest this year at the Polo Club. How are you?” he asked, standing and shaking the man’s hand. He had met the sheikh over ten years ago when, as a college student, the sheikh had visited the United States and participated in a swimming competition at UCLA. They had become good friends then.

“I am fine, Matthew.” And he leaned over and kissed Carmen’s cheek. “And you, Carmen, are as beautiful as ever.”

“Thanks, Sheikh Adham,” Carmen said, smiling.

The man then gestured to the woman by his side. “And let me introduce my wife, Sabrina. Sweetheart, Matthew and Carmen are friends of mine.”

The woman smiled as she greeted them. Matthew fought not to show the surprise on his face. Adham married? The woman was certainly a beauty. But he’d spent some time with Adham just last year while working on a historical piece in the Middle East when he’d claimed marriage was the furthest thing from this mind. Matthew couldn’t help wondering what had happened to make him change his mind.

“Would you and Sabrina like to join us?” Matthew heard Carmen ask.

Adham shook his head. “We appreciate your kindness but we’ve already eaten and were just leaving. Hopefully, we can get together soon after one of the polo matches.”

“Carmen and I would like that.” They chatted for a few more minutes before the couple left.

“Wow, I can’t imagine Adham married,” Carmen said, speaking aloud what Matthew’s thoughts had been earlier. Matthew returned to his seat, remembering it was well-known that Adham used to have a wild streak and be quite a womanizer.

“They look happy,” Carmen added.

Matthew wasn’t so sure about that. For some reason he didn’t quite feel that happiness that Adham and Sabrina were trying so hard to emit.

“I can’t believe I ate so much,” Carmen said when they returned from dinner.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Matthew grinning as he tossed his car keys on the table. “And just what do you find so amusing?” she couldn’t help but ask him.

He leaned back against the door. “I have to say I don’t ever recall seeing you eat that much. You ate your dessert and mine.”

Carmen chuckled as she dropped down on the sofa. “Only because you didn’t seem as hungry as you claimed you were. I, on the other hand, was not only exhausted, I was hungry.”

He nodded. “Are you full now?”

“Yes, pretty much so.”

“And your energy level?”

She lifted a brow, wondering why he wanted to know. “Good. Why?”

“Keep watching, you’ll figure it out.”

And she did. First went his shirt, which he removed and tossed aside. His shoes and socks came next and Carmen watched fascinated. When his hand went to the zipper of his jeans she shivered in anticipation. The man had a body that could make her tremble while waiting for it to be bared.

Determined not to be undone, she eased off the sofa and began removing her own clothes. By the time she had tossed her last article of clothing aside, he was slowly moving toward her. “You’re slow, Carmen.”

She grinned. “And you look hard, Matthew.”

“You’re right,” he said, pulling her into his arms. She groaned out loud with the feel of his naked body against hers.

“Haven’t you gotten enough yet?” she asked, smiling.

“No. Have you?”

---